About
Sneaker Snatcher is a web application I built for a client, which allows users to automatically purchase shoes as they are released. Due to the high demand for the latest fashion, on release date, the limited supply tends to sell out very quickly and the client wanted to be sure he got first pick.
Technology
Scraping And Purchasing Bots
- NodeJS
- MySQL
- Tor Network
- PhantomJS
- CRON
Screenshots and Features
The system leverages an arsenal of scrapers that parse data from multiple sources (social media, release calendars, etc) and lists all the upcoming releases in a centralized database.
The user can then enlist numerous bots to purchase desired quantities of select sizes as soon as the shoes are released.
On release day, the progress of the bots can be monitored in real-time. This allows the user to watch for any issues, such as the store running out of stock of a certain size and then make any last minute changes to the order.
Finally, after all the bots' tasks have been completed, all orders are consolidated and their results displayed.
Final Thoughts
This application only took a few weeks to build and test, although it did end up not working in the long run. The major players (Nike, Foot Locker, East Bay) have a strict policy against bots, in the premise of giving all users a fair chance at purchasing new merchandise. They have hired teams to constantly change their websites underlying code and employ anti-bot curve balls that require constant maintenance and rebuilding on the bots. In the end it was deemed uneconomical to continue battling the companies and keep the bots working. The client has settled on purchasing shoes the old-fashioned, legitimate way.
